Solenoid controlled cord reel



y 6, 1953 R. F. BECKER 2,640,113

SOLENOID CONTROLLED CORD REEL Filed Jan. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Snnentor R0055? F BECKER May 26, 1953 R. F. BECKER SOLENOID CONTROLLED CORD REEL Filed Jan. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FPODGER F. BECKER (Ittorneg Patented May 26, 1953 [2T ES 'QFE;

SODENDID CONTROLLED CORD REEL] Rodger -F-, Becker, Kalamazoo,; Mich.

Appii'catio'n Jamal-yes, 1950,, Serial No. 140,492.

1.Glaim., 1.:-

This invention relates ingeneral to asprin actuated; extensioncord reel and moreparticu larly to a type thereof 'havinga manually com trollable, solenoid actuated; detent mechanism for; controlling the rewinding' of the extension cord upon the reel.

Persons familiar-withthe use and operationof automatic rewind reels-for electrical extension cords have long recognized" the needior a type thereof having manually controllable-means; preferably associated with the extension'lamp; for controllingthe rewinding of the cord reel whereby the extension cord retracted into the reel'housing; Although devices of this type have been conceived for this purpose,- they'ha've; for one or more reasons; been 'found unsatisf-actory, particularly 'where the working space le -limited, or where the equipment in such spacewouid be disturbed by uncontrolledmovements of the extension cord. during the retraction thereof.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is the provision of a .spring actuated ireelfifor'an electrical extension cord, which reel is provided with manually; controllable ineans for-remote1y controlling the rewinding of the extension, cord uponthe reel.

A'furth'er object of this invention is the pjrOVision .of a remotely controllable device mounted uponfth'e reel ncusingior selectively engaging the reelwhereby rotationof saidireel in that direction efiecting retraction of the extension cord can be positivelyjcontroll'ed.

Afu'rth'er object of this invention is the provision of a cord retractioncontroldeviceyas aforesaid, having. a manually controllable normally open switch associated with the extension lamp on said cord whereby theeiite'nsion cord maybe withdrawn from, the cord .reel as desired, with; in the limitations of. its length, but. which will prevent. retraction of said .cordb'y said spring into the. reel housing. uniessthe, switch is manually closed...

A further objectof this invention .is-theprovision. of "a. retraction control device. controll'edlby a remote switch, as aforesaid, whereby the control device is released .only when ithejsaidswitch being manually closediand is effective to prevent retractioneof the extension cordfwheneverjthe switch'm'eans is released.

Other objects and "purposes of. this invention will become. apparent to persons familiar with this, type of 'equip'nientupon referring to the accompanying drawings and"uponreading"the fol lowing specification:

In meeting those obiects and-purposes -hereto- (Cl. ISL-42.2)

2, fore mentioned; asw-ellas others-incidental thereto and associatedtherewith,- I have provided-a reel housing having a cord reel rotatably-sup ported therewithin, and-means resiliently and controllably resisting rotation of said reel *withm said reel housing whereby retractionof the extension cordis efiected; I have moun-ted'a'solenoid upon" the housing adjacent to one rimof saidreeland have-provided a plurality of openings in said rim engageable byth'e corebar of the so'lenoidduring rotationof the reel.

For illustrations of a prefer-red embodiment of my invention, reference is made to; the accounpanying drawings in-which:

Figure 1 is aside elevation view---of=the cord reel to which this inventionrelates showingthe reel housing with one-side removed-therefrom:

Figure 2 is a "sectional view substantially as taken along the line II+II=of Figure 1 withsaid side cover-of the reel housing in position, and

with the core b'aroi the solenoid engaging the cord reel rim.

Figure 3 is-an enlarged sectionalfview-of Fig; ure --2' taken along the line II-1I with the ;-core bar-retracted;

Figure 4 13a wiring diagram of my invention.

Figure 5 is a "fragmentary sectional view =ofa modified structure substantially as taken-along theline 'II- -II 'of Figure 1.

Construction For the purpose of convenience in description, thevt'erms inner or inside? .and.0uter? 0r outside," as ,used in this specification,..wil1i'be understood to have reference to theflgeometric center of the cord reel or theflcord reel housing, and parts thereon As shown in'Figureslpand 2,.the circularcord reel llinwhich is .rotatably supported within the reel, h0using. I I provided with .a. coaxialsleeve opening I 2 in thecenter of plate!!! through which a reel sleeve (3 extends. The reel sleeve-sis in, turn rotatably supported upon the ,reel; shaft [4,. whichis se'curedat opposite endsthereofto, and is supportediupon, the frontandbaok-oovers l5 .and, I6, respectively, oilthe reel housingl I. The cord ,reel Hlis preferably so,.disposed. .within the-reel housing ll and-upon thereelsleeve l3 thatth'e said sleeveiextendsfrom. said reel toward, but, is spaced from, the front cover 15.

A reel'spring. H, which is secured to and exe tends'between the reel shaft I'A'andthe rim 20-of the reel 1 0, is disposed rb'etweenthe "center plate 19 and the housing baclscover 'lfi in a conventional manners Detailsregarding the construc tion of the cord reel I and the manner in which the reel spring I1 is secured to the reel shaft I4 and reel rim 20 are substantially fully disclosed in patent application Serial No. 16,099, filed March 20, 1948, by J. S. Komassa and now Patent No. 2,543,176, dated February 27, 1951. Therefore, further details relating thereto will be omitted from this application.

A slip ring support disk I8, which is preferably fabricated from an insulating material, is sleeved upon and secured to the reel sleeve I3 parallel with and spaced from the cord reel center plate I9. Three concentric, spaced rings 2|, 22 and 23 are mounted upon that side of the ring disk I8 remote from the cord reel. A contact support disk 24, which is also fabricated from an insulating material, is provided with an opening through which the reel sleeve I3 may slidably and rotatably extend. The contact disk 24 is axially reciprocably mounted upon the front cover I by any convenient means, such as mounting pins of which one is shown at 25, and is disposed between the slip ring disk I8 and the front cover I5, and spaced therefrom.

Three contactors 26, 21 and 28 are secured to and disposed upon that face of the contact disk 24 adjacent to the slip ring disk I8 for engagement with the slip rings 2|, .22 and 23, respectively. A coiled spacer spring 29 is sleeved upon the reel sleeve I3 and disposed under compression between the front cover I5 and contact disk 24 for urging the contactors 26, 21 and 28 into positive engagement with the slip rings 2 I, 22 and 23, respectively, when the front cover I5 is mounted upon the reel housing I I.

The reel cord 3| is provided with at least three electrical conductors which are electrically connected to the slip rings 2|, 22 and 23, as shown in Figure 2. The lead-in cord 35 preferably contains at least two conductors 36 and 31 which are connected to the radially inner contactors 21 and 28, respectively.

A solenoid housing 4|, which may be secured to, and mounted upon, the outside surface of the front cover I5 near the periphery thereof, is provided with a field coil 42 of any convenient, conventional type which surrounds a solenoid core bar 43. An opening is provided in the reel housing front cover I5 through which the core bar I3 may extend into the reel housing II. The inner end 44 of the core bar 43 is tapered substantially to a point and provided with a radially outwardly extending annular flange 45 adjacent to said tapered end (Figures 2 and 3). A coiled core spring 46 is sleeved upon the core bar 43 and is held under compression between the annular flange 45 and the adjacent surface of the field coil 42 for the purpose of urging the core bar toward the reel rim 2!].

' A plurality of detent openings 41, here four (Figures 1, 2 and 3), are provided at spaced intervals about the rim sidewall 48. The detent openings 41 are preferably disposed radially equidistantly from the shaft I4 for appropriate reception of the tapered end 44 of the core bar 43. That portion of the rim sidewall 48 adjacent to the trailing edge of each detent opening 41, when said reel is rotating in a clock-wise direction as appearing in Figure 1, is provided with a groove 49 (Figure 2) inclined away from the adjacent front cover I5 and increasing in depth toward said opening, whereby engagement between the tapered end 44 of the core bar 43 and the wall of the detent opening 41 maybe assured when the reel is being rotated and the conductor 36.

in the direction effecting a retraction of the extension cord, such engagement being eliected by the core spring 46. The maximum depth of the groove 49, which is adjacent to the detent opening, is preferably greater than the distance between the flange 45 and the tip of the tapered end 44 of the core bar, for reasons disclosed hereinafter.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, current is supplied from a convenient source, not shown, through the conductor 31 in the lead-in cord 35, through the contactor 28, the ring 23, the conductor 34, the switch 52, a lamp 53 mounted in the extensionlamp handle 54, through the conductor 33, the slip ring 22, the contactor 21 Current is supplied to the solenoid field coil by passing from said source through the conductor 35, the contactor 21, slip ring 22, the conductor 33, the switch 55, the conductor 32, the slip ring 2|, the contactor 26, the conductor 56, the solenoid field coil 42, the conductor 51 and the conductor 31. This places the solenoid directly across the line voltage.

- The switches 52 and 55 may be of any conventional type, however, the switch 55 is preferably of the type normally held in open position by resilient means and adapted for moving into closed position by manual actuation, such as by being pressed by-the operators thumb or finger.

Accordingly, retraction of the solenoid core bar 43 into the solenoid housing 4|, can be effected by energization of the coil 42 through manual actuation of the switch 55 without effecting the luminosity of the lamp 53. Likewise the lamp 53 can be turned on or off without affecting the core bar 43.

Operation As shown in Figure 2, the solenoid core bar 43 is normally in the extended position, being so urged by the core spring 46, so that the tip of the taperedend 44 is bearing against the reel rim sidewall 48 or is disposed within one of the detent openings 41. Since the depth of each groove 49 adjacent to its corresponding detent opening 41 is greater than the distance between the tip of the tapered end 44 and the flange 45, which rides on the rim sidewall 48 when said tapered end is seated in a detent opening, the reel I0 can be rotated in a cord extending direction, or clockwise as appearing in Figure 1, without requiring actuation of the switch 55.

However, that edge of each detent opening 41, opposite the groove 49, is flush with the rim 48 and thereby prevents a counter-clockwise, or cord retracting, rotation of the reel I0 when the tapered end 44 is seated in a said opening. Such counter-clockwise rotation of the reel III is continuously urged by the reel spring I1.

As the reel l0 rotates, the slip ring support disk I8 rotates therewith. However, the contact support disk 24, being mounted upon the front cover I5, is held non-rotatable with respect thereto. Accordingly, the contactors 26, 21 and 28, pass current to the circular slip rings 2|, 22 and 23 in a conventional manner. Thus, cur-- rent is being passed continuously from lead-in cord 35 through the contactors and slip rings and various corresponding conductors both to the lamp switch .52 and the solenoid switch 56 mounted upon the extension lamp handle 54.

When the solenoid switch 55 (Figures 1 and 4) is closed, the solenoid core bar 43 is retracted into the solenoid housing 4| in a conventional manner, thereby releasing the cord reel ID to rotate in said counter-clockwise direction under urging of the spring [1. As long as the solenoid switch 55 is held in the closed position, the core bar 43 will remain retracted and will thereby continue to permit the reel spring ll to effect a retraction of the cord 3| into the housing H. However, as soon as the solenoid switch 55 is closed, the coil 42 is deenergized and the solenoid core bar $3 is again urged into the extended position (Figure 2) by the core spring 46 so that the tip of the tapered end 44 will engage the rim sidewall 58 and the end 44 will be received into the next detent opening 41 passing into line therewith. Thus, the operator will have full control of both extension and retraction of the cord, as well as turning the lamp on and ofi, by one hand at the handle 54 and the other cannot race uncontrolled back into its housing.

Modification The solenoid housing 61 (Figure 5) may be alternatively mounted upon the peripheral wall as of the reel housing 63 so that the longitudinal axis of the core bar 64 is radially disposed with respect to the cord reel 65. In such case, the rim 86 of the reel 65 is provided with a cylindrical flange 67 substantially coaxial with the cord reel 65. The flange 67 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 68 engageable by the tapered end 69 of the core bar 64, which is reciprocably mounted within the solenoid coil H in the solenoid housing SI for controllable extension through an appropriate opening 12 in the peripheral sheet 62.

The core bar 64 may be provided with a circular flange 13 at that end thereof remote from the tapered end 69 and disposed within a space between the adjacent end of the solenoid coil H and the solenoid housing Bl. The tapered end of the core bar 64 is urged against the cylindrical flange E1, or into one of the openings as therein, by a spring 14 disposed under compression between said circular flange 13 on the core bar 6 3 and the adjacent end of the solenoid housing 51. It will be observed that the extension of the core bar 64 is limited by engagement between the circular flange 13 and the solenoid coil H.

The core bar 64 is retracted into the solenoid housing, against the force of the spring 14, when the solenoid coil is energized in the same manner as shown in Figure 4 for the device shown in Figures 1 t 3. If the sidewalls of the openings 68 are not recessed along an edge thereof, as are the openings 47 (Figure 3), the core bar M must be retracted to permit the rotation of the reel 65 in either direction, thereby providing releasable, but positive, locking of said reel against such rotation.

Although the above mentioned drawings and description apply to particular preferred em bodiments of my invention, it is not my intention, implied or otherwise, to eliminate other variations or modifications which do not depart from the scope of this invention unless specifically stated to the contrary in the hereinafter appended claim.

I claim:

A selectively operable uni-directional brake for controlling the rotation of a reel for electrical cord, said reel having a drum and a spring adapted t rotate said drum in a direction to wind said cord thereon, said drum having a plurality of openings in one side, one edge of each of said openings having an inclined trough away from said opening in the direction of rotation of said drum as it winds up said cord, said brake comprising: a solenoid including a plunger and a spring urging said plunger into said openings in said drum; said cord being of the three conductor type having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit utilizing a common conductor; said secondary circuit being connected to said solenoid; a switch in said secondary circuit at the end of said cord remote from said drum, whereby said solenoid may be activated from. said remote end of said cord without interference with said primary circuit.

RODGER F. BECKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 807,965 Rice Dec. 19, 1905 1,244,445 Pratt Oct. 23, 1917 1,763,811 Occhiuzzo June 1'7, 1930 2,097,537 Snyder Nov. 2, 1937 2,317,344 Hood Apr. 27, 1943 2,443,763 Dahlgren June 22, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 122,221 Sweden July 13, 1948 

